Extensive prior art exists in the fields of antistatic agents and soil release agents. Such materials are used extensively to impart antistatic and soil release characteristics to substrates treated therewith, particularly textile materials, such as textile fabrics.
For example, Albrecht, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,892,810 discloses cation-active derivatives which are said to be suitable for improving the electrical conductivity properties of synthetic textiles. Among the numerous derivatives included in the Albrecht patent are derivatives of aldehyde condensation products of aminotriazines or ethers thereof with alcohols of low molecular weight, which derivatives contain cation-active amino groups and groupings which increase the hydrophilic character non-ionically, such as polyglycol ether groups.
On the other hand, Savostianoff et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,226, discloses chemical compounds which are said to impart antistatic properties to natural and synthetic fabrics, which compounds have the general formula ##STR3## in which A is a radical resulting from the removal of at least three atoms of hydrogen replaceable by methylols on atoms of nitrogen of a compound capable of supplying aminoplasts; R.sub.1 is either a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or acyl radical comprising less than 4 atoms of carbon; R.sub.2 is an aliphatic alkyl or acyl radical comprising at least 10 atoms of carbon or aliphatic alkyl or acyl radical comprising at least 10 atoms of carbon or an alkyl radical comprising at least 2 atoms of carbon and at least one halogen substituent; R.sub.3 is a radical resulting from the removal of a hydroxyl from the alcohol group of the addition product of 5 to 30 molecules of identical or different alkylene oxides on an alcohol or an acid; and m, n and p are equal to or greater than 1.
Latta et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,443, disclose an antistatic finish which is said to be durable on synthetic polymer fabric. Latta et al. apply to the fabric a mixture of a melamine derivative (prepared by reacting melamine with either formaldehyde or formaldehyde and an alkanol) and ethoxylated compounds having the formula ##STR4## wherein R.sub.1 is C.sub.8-20 alkyl;
R.sub.2 is a C.sub.1-22 alkyl; or --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.r R.sub.4 ; PA1 R.sub.3 is hydrogen, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 or --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 SH; PA1 R.sub.4 is hydrogen, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 SH or C.sub.1-4 alkyl; PA1 n, p and r are 5 to 60, and PA1 X.sup..crclbar. is an anion. PA1 Y.sub.1 is O(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.5-20 R.sub.1 ; PA1 R.sub.1 is C.sub.1-5 alkyl; PA1 Y.sub.2 is O(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.5-88 R.sub.2 ; PA1 R.sub.2 is C.sub.6-20 alkyl; PA1 Y.sub.3 is ##STR6## R.sub.3 is C.sub.4-20 alkyl, C.sub.4-20 alkenyl or benzyl; R.sub.4 is C.sub.1-4 alkyl; PA1 A.sup..crclbar. is an organic or inorganic anion; PA1 each of a and b can be 0 to 2, provided that the sum of a and b is 1 to 2; PA1 c is 1 to 2; PA1 the sum of a, b and c is 2 to 4; PA1 each of m and n is at least 1 and the sum of m and n is 12 to 100;
A desirable feature of antistatic and soil release agents is durability, that is, the ability of the agent to be retained on the substrate during subsequent handling or use thereof. For example, in the case of textile fabrics; such as clothing, it is desirable that any antistatic or soil release property imparted to the fabric be retained thereon through subsequent laundering operations. A need exists for a single substrate treating agent or composition which can impart durable, antistatic soil release properties to the substrate.